Improvement in water-elevators



J. JONES & J. F. HQLMES.

WATER-ELEVATOR.

Eatented Jan.18,l876.

No. 172,44r5.

UNITED STATE$ JENKINS JONES AND JASON F. HOLMES, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODEISLAND.

PATENT FFICE,

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-ELEVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,445, dated January18, 1876 application filed,

October 28, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JENKINs J was and JASONF. HOLMES, both of the city and county of Providence, in the State of.Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWater-Elevators; and we do hereby declare that the following speoification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a partof the same, is a clear, true, and complete description thereof.

Our said improvements relate to that class of water-elevators which aremounted in a well-curb, and involve the use of a drum, crankshaft, rope,and bucket.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple and effective meansfor controlling the descending bucket, and for operatively con nectingthe Windlass-drum with the crankshaft when the filled bucket is to beraised.

Our invention consists partially in the novel combination, with acrank-shaft and a drum,

longitudinally fixed, but rotatively mounted loosely, on said shaft, ofa ratchet-wheel secured to the shaft, a sliding clutch between ratchetand drum, a friction-shoe lever, and a double-acting hand-lever,attached tothe shoelevcr and connected with the clutch, whereby thedescendingbucket may be readily controlled and the shaft and drumrotatively connected or disconnected. Our invention further consists inthe novel combination, with a crank-shaft or other driving-shaft, of alongitudinallyfixed drum, looselymounted on said shaft, provided with aperipherical frictionsurfacc, a friction-shoe lever, a friction-clutch,and a lever arranged to operate in two planesvertically for controllingthe friction-shoe, and laterally for controlling the clutch; and, stillfurther, in the combination, with the doubleacting lever whichcontrolsthe clutch and the friction-shoe, of a stop-plate having an inclinedsurface, with which the lever engages when it is moved laterally, and bywhich the outer end of the lever is raised for connecting the clutch andplacing the frictional shoe outof operative position, and which permitsthe outer end of the lever to descend when moved in the opposite lateraldirection for disconnecting the clutch and placing the frictional shoeinto a controlling connection with the drum.

To more particularly describe our invention, we will refer to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents, in perspective, awaterelevator embodying our invention, in which. a portion of thewell-curb is indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 represents the Windlassand its frame in longitudinal central section. Fig. 3 represents, in topview, the double-acting lever, clutch, and friction-shoe, a portion ofthe frame, and also, in dotted lines, the crankshaft. Fig. 4 represents,in side view, a stopplate.

Our apparatus is 1l referably mountedupon a metallic frame, as at A,having two bean ings for the crankshaft, a standard at a for a pawl, arecess for one end of the lever, as at b, and a recess opposite thereto,as at Z), for the friction-shoe, and the stop-plate, as at 0.

These several features could, of course, be embodied in a wooden frame,or could be separately cons ructed and properly attached to a well-curb.4

B denotes the driving-shaft, which may be rotated directly by a crank,or by a crank with intermediate gearing. It is provided with aratchetwheel, as at d, and the pawl, as at e, for preventing backwardrotation. C denotes the drum, which is longitudinally fixed, but isloosely mounted, on the main shaft. It is provided, at the end nearestthe crank, with a peripherica-l frictional surface, as at f. The side ofthe ratchetwheel cl adjacent to the drum is concaved, so as toconstitute it the receiving member of a frictionclutch. D denotes asliding entering member of a frictional clutch. It is provided with twolugs, as at g, which enter the spaces between corresponding lugs, as ath, which project from the head of the drum closely adjacent to thecrankshaft. This member of the clutch (usually in itself denominated theclutch) is always rotatively connected with the drum, and is onlyconnected with the crank-shaft when forced toward the ratchet-wheel, andits annular frictional inclined surface at i made to enter andfrictionally engage with the correspondiugly-inclined interior surfacein the concave portion of the ratchet-wheel. E denotes the friction-shoelever, which, at its front end, enters into the recess 1) in the frameA, and the recess I) at its rear end. It has a concave upper surface,which inversely corresponds with'the annular frictional surface on thedrum at f, with which it is made to engage for retarding the rotation ofthe drum during the descent of the bucket. F denotes a controlling-leverof peculiar construction and operation. It has two fulcra, one of whichis located at one end of the lever, and the other at a point between itstwo ends. This lever controls both the friction-shoe and the clutch. Theshoe-lever is actuated by movement of the rear end of the lever in avertical plane, and the clutch by a lateral movement of the outer end ofthe lever.

It has been before stated that the rear end of the friction-shoe lever Eoccupies a recess at b in the frame. and bottom. pivoted to the rear endof the shoe, and therefore that end of both lever and shoe may be movedin a vertical line,'but not laterally, and therefore the sides of thisrecess consti- This recess is open at top tute surfaces or fulcra,against which the lethe other hand, when said lever at its outer end isdepressed, the upper side of the clutch, with which the hooked arm 7cengages, constitutes the fulcrum. 1t will'be seen, therefore,

that when the lever is used for moving the clutch that its lateralfulcrum is at the recess b, and that when the shoe is to be depressed orraised that the fulcrum is shifted to the crank-shaft on which theclutch is mounted.

Whether a toothed clutch or a pin-clutch be employed instead ofafriction-clutch, as shown, this lever performs a valuable and novelservice, and constitutes, in combination with any form of clutch,friction-shoe, or drum, with a frictional surface, one of the primefeatures of our invention.

For rendering the apparatus efficient and of more general utility it isdesirable that the control of the loose drum be confined, as far aspossible, to the automatic action of the controlling device. It isobvious that a prudent person could safely be relied upon to detach theclutch and then promptly depress the lever, so as to maintain properrelations between the shoe and drum for controlling the latter; but, torender this control more automatic in its nature, we combine with thelever the stop-plate, as at 0. In this instance the stop-plate is castwith the frame A, although it may be separately constructed, and placedadjacent to the necessary opening in the front The rear end of the leverF is of the curb, through which the outer end of.

At 1, on the stop-plate, is a bearing-surface for the lever when it hasbeen} lever F projects.

the inclined surface until it rests upon the frame A. The rear end ofthe lever is thereby elevated, and the friction-shoe made to engage withthe drum almost simultaneously with the disconnection of the clutch. 1

For maintaining the lever on the bearingsurface 1 and keeping the clutchconnected, a spring may be employed in. a manner well known.

In practice, the outer end of the lever F may be made of such weightthat no down.- ward force need be exerted thereon for causing the shoeto properly engage with the drum, because the shoe is, in itself, alever, having its fulcrum in the recess 1) in the front portion of theframe.

With a light lever a spring may be successfully employed for inducingthe desired degree of downward pressure on the lever, and we show, indotted lines in Fig. 1, at n, a long, straight spring, which may besecured to the interior of the front side of the curb and arranged toperform the double service of holding the front end of the lever on thebearingsurfacel when the clutch is connected, and also of depressing thelever and raising the shoe when the clutch is disconnected. Thefriction-clutch, as herein shown, is a well'known connecting device,butwe are not aware that, prior to our invention, such a clutch was everbefore employed in a like combination of mechanism. It has a specialvalue in this connection, because it issilent in its operation, capableof a gradual instead of an abrupt connection, and is not liable to drumsin water-elevators, as well as in windlasses in general.

With the foregoing description of the several parts, and the function ofeach, it will be readily seen that the drum, in lowering the bucket, iscontrolled through the friction-shoe and'the downward pressure of theouter end of the lever, and that, when the bucket is filled, the lateralmovement of the lever and the attendant depression of its rear endconnects the clutch and removes the shoe from contact with the drum,after which, by the rotation of the crank-shaft, the bucket is raised.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by these Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a crank ordrivingshaft, and a drum longitudinally fixed, but loosely mounted, onsaid shaft, and provided with a peripherical frictional surface, of aratchet-wheel secured to the shaft, a sliding clutch betweenratchet-wheel and drum, a friction-shoe lever, and a double-acting leverattached to the friction-shoe lever and connected with the clutch,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a crank-shaft or driving-shaft, and a drumlongitudinally stationary, but loosely mounted, on said shaft, and

provided with a peripherical frictional surface, of a friction-shoelever, a friction-clutch, and a lever arranged to operate vertically forcontrolling the shoe-lever, and laterally for con.- trolling the clutch,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a crank or drivingshaft, a drum loosely mountedon said shaft, a clutch for connecting the drum and shaft, afriction-shoe for engaging with the drum, and a lever for alternatelycontrolling the clutch and the shoe, of a'stop-plate provided with aninclined surface and a bearing-surface, substantially as described,whereby the free end of the lever, when moved laterally in onedirection, will be elevated and held on the bear-- ingsurface, and whenmoved in the opposite direction will be allowed to fall, as set forth.

JENKINS JONES.

JASON F. HOLMES. Witnesses:

CHARLES SELDEN, JOHN G. PURKIS.

